D3 Runes

In response to a poster’s query about the Striking Rune, its effect, and other rune mechanics in D3, Bashiok offered up few glimpses of what Blizzard is thinking in regards to the new rune system. It looks as if Blizzard is moving away from thematic names for runes, and instead going for more ambiguous titles.

Well kind of true, but not really. What did I say before? Probably something crazy.

The runes have really just been renamed to allow us greater flexibility in what they do so we’re not creating a weird detachment from what they’re called and the effect they provide. For example what was the multi-strike rune going to do for … say… slow time? And does that match what the name implies, or what you would assume? Probably not.

Also, personally, the newest names (which I won’t disclose in case they don’t stick) are very much in the theme of the world and Diablo. Lethality/multistrike/power were very game-mechanic in approach, and even when they moved to viper/hydra/force they had an odd mysticism attached with them. Now they’re very plainly named by interesting sounding materials. Great, very matter of fact and real in their theme, IMO.

Runes still have a general theme though, you’ll know that this rune usually increases damage in some way, and this other one usually decreases cost in some way, and this one is a wild-card and usually changes how the skill works in some crazy way. But we have enough freedom now that multi-strike/hydra whatever you know it as, doesn’t have this defined perception that it’s always going to “multi-strike”. Whatever that means to each player.

It’s not entirely transparent to the player what each rune will do with each skill, but it couldn’t have been before either. And having them be curious about the effect and learning what it is, instead of having a predetermined idea of what it’s going to do, is the better path. (Source)

He also disclosed some rune names…

Quote fromBashiok

Ok, Jay said it was cool, so the rune names we’re currently using are: